I always felt that the fact that the movie was stop-motion added to the unique mix-up of the holiday themes in that it would remind me that people are divided on the Rankin/Bass stop-motion Christmas specials: some remember and enjoy them fondly, some found them creepy and unsettling. It was something I always considered when watching the movie each year. Without the stop-motion this aspect, whether intentional or not, is lost and the movie loses a bit of its charm because of it.